PrevAcid May Pose Heart Risk When Taken with Antibiotic

Patients undergoing antibiotic treatment with ceftriaxone might want to steer clear of PrevAcid, a proton pump inhibitor used to prevent the symptoms of GERD and other peptic disorders. According to a study recently published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), concurrent use of these medications could increase a patient’s risk for arrhythmia (irregular heart beat).

The study used a sophisticated algorithm to data-mine millions of adverse event reports from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and from patients treated at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City between 1996 and 2014. The findings suggested that patients taking both drugs were 40% more likely to have an irregular heartbeat.

The research team also conducted laboratory tests of ceftriaxone and PrevAcid on individual cells. They found the combination blocked an electrical channel crucial to the heart, which could account for the interaction seen in their analysis.

The authors of the study warned that the combination of ceftriaxone and PrevAcid “has the potential for significant morbidity and mortality.” However more research will be needed before a definitive conclusion can be drawn.

Proton Pump Inhibitor Litigation

Proton pump inhibitors are a class of heartburn medications that includes Nexium, PrevAcid, Prilosec and others. They are intended for the short-term treatment of GERD and other disorders associated with the excess production of stomach acid.

This is not the first study to suggest a drug in this class might be associated with harmful health effects Just this past April, research published in the Journal Of The American Society Of Nephologyfound that those who used proton pump inhibitors had a 28% higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease over patients who take other heartburn medications. Additionally, patients taking proton pump inhibitors had a 96% increased chance of developing kidney failure after five years of use.

A growing number of lawsuits involving proton pump inhibitors have been filed in U.S. courts on behalf of individuals who suffered kidney failure and other renal complications allegedly related to their use. Just last week, a motion was filed seeking centralization of all such federal claims in a single U.S. District Court for the purposes of coordinated pretrial proceedings.